2/21/2010

Let's face it: Our houseplants aren't the most important things on our to-do lists, and even the most attentive gardeners will sometimes forget to water the hanging baskets. The good news is that unless the plants are completely dead, they can usually be revived.

Begin by clipping off dead flowers and browning leaves. See! It looks better already. Now cut back yellowing stems and stems with a good many yellowing leaves to encourage the plant to send out new shoots. If your plant has trailing stems, you may have to detangle the stems first to determine which are worth keeping.

If you're like me, you may find it hard to clip off buds that will be opening soon, so use your own judgment to determine if this is necessary. A plant with a lot of damage will have more trouble recovering if it's trying to support buds during the recovery period, and the buds may eventually fall off without opening anyway. If the damage is mild, leave the buds that are on undamaged stems in place.

Watering a dried out basket can be difficult. You may find that as you pour water into the basket it simply runs out without wetting the soil. The best way to overcome this is to run a pan of tepid water, and add a drop or two of dishwashing liquid. The dishwashing liquid acts as a wetting agent and allows the water to soak into the soil. Set your plant inside the pan of water and leave it for at least an hour, or until the basket is saturated, and mist the plants a time or two while they soak. If there are heavy chains or ropes attached to your basket, support them with a stick so that they don't lay on top of your plants. When the plants are dry, it doesn't take much weight to break the stems and leaves.

At this point we want to do everything we can to help our plants get back on their feet, but it's best to avoid feeding them for about five days. This gives them time to overcome the shock before trying to send out new shoots.

Watch your recovering plants closely for signs of insects or disease. In their weakened state, they are more susceptible to pests and fungus, and they should be treated right away if you suspect a problem. Before you know it, your basket will be bursting with blooms again.

Terri's Trivia Quiz: "RESULTS OF THE QUIZ1. the correct answer is potato2. night shade ... 3. the correct answer is all of the above4. the correct answer is determinate5. true ... 6. Roma (San Marzano) ... 7. when you refrigerate them ...8. salsa ... 9. sunniest part of the garden ... 10. all of the above ...

2/09/2010

My thoughts about starting seeds...Enjoy!

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When to Start Seeds for a Vegetable Garden

As winter begins to wind down, gardeners anxiously await thearrival of spring and the gardening season. Even though wintermay still have a few tricks up its sleeve, vegetable gardenerscan begin to prepare for the gardening season and get a headstart on spring by starting some crops early indoors.

But if seeds are started indoors too soon, the little plantsmay outgrow their indoor growing space and become too leggy.If they're planted too late, the seedlings will not be largeenough for transplanting in the garden when planting timecomes round. For the best results and the least amount offrustration, it's important to know the right time to plantseeds.

Broccoli and cabbage can be started early indoors or directseeded. The proper time for planting seeds for broccoli orcabbage indoors would be four to six weeks beforetransplanting to the garden.

The timing for planting cauliflower seeds is similar to thetiming for broccoli. Sow the seeds in flats starting inearly March. For successive crops, continue sowing seedsthrough June, and plant out the seedlings 4-5 weeks aftersowing the seeds.

Cucumbers can be started early indoors or direct seeded inthe garden. For an earlier crop, sow cucumber seeds indoors4-5 weeks before they can be planted outdoors.

Melon plants grow best in warm weather. Melon seeds can besown indoors one month before they can be transplanted intothe garden. Handle seedlings carefully as they do not liketo have their roots disturbed.

Onions are often grown from tiny bulbs called sets, butonions can also be grown from seed. Plant onion seedsindoors in flats 6-8 weeks before they seedlings are to beplanted out. Or plant onion seeds directly in the garden assoon as the soil can be worked.

Peppers grow rather slowly and in most climates the plantsshould be started indoors. Sow pepper seeds indoors eightweeks before planting out the little seedlings, and do notplant them outdoors until the soil has warmed and summerweather has settled in.

Pumpkins and winter squash are vigorous plants that grow wellwhen the seeds are planted directly in the garden. If youhave a short growing season, you may start pumpkin wintersquash seeds indoors no more than 3-4 weeks before plantingout the seedlings.

Tomato plants cannot handle cool temperatures or frost, sothe seedlings must not be planted outdoors until all dangerof frost has passed and the soil has warmed to at least 70degrees. Sow tomato seeds indoors 5-6 weeks before theseedlings can be planted out.